Senior Social Safeguards Officer

Catholic Relief Services; Philippines; Hybrid; PHP 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

CRS Philippines seeks a Senior Social Safeguards Officer to lead social safeguard design, implementation, monitoring and improvement for community-based conservation and carbon finance initiatives. The role ensures compliance with IPRA and FPIC standards, human rights, equitable benefit sharing, and meaningful Indigenous Peoples participation across activities.

As the focal point, you will coordinate with IP stakeholders, NCIP, government agencies and partners to integrate safeguards throughout

Responsibilities

• Serve as project focal point for social safeguards and rights-based approaches, ensuring integration across baselining, feasibility, design and pre-implementation activities.
• Ensure compliance with Philippine IP laws (IPRA) and international standards on FPIC, social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, human rights, and equitable benefit sharing.
• Collaborate with Indigenous communities, NCIP, government agencies, local governments, civil society, technical teams and partners to implement safeguards obligations.

Job description

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works in around 100 countries to save, protect, and transform lives, serving people in need regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Through trusted local partnerships, CRS delivers relief and development programs in emergency response, disaster risk reduction, health, agriculture, education, community savings, livelihoods, and peacebuilding.

CRS began working in the Philippines in 1945, making it the longest-running continuous CRS country program in the world. Today, CRS Philippines implements programs in emergency response and recovery, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, livelihoods, and peace and development. With more than 70 staff across Manila, Cotabato City, Tagbilaran City, Iloilo City, Virac, and Malaybalay City, CRS works closely with church and civil society partners, government agencies, and other organizations to serve vulnerable communities across the country.

Innovative Climate Financing - Philippines Carbon Finance Pilot

Innovative Climate Financing - Philippines Carbon Finance Pilot is an 18-month initiative (April 2026 – September 2027) which seeks to assess and advance the readiness of indigenous peoples’ ancestral domains in Bukidnon and Davao del Norte for participation in high-integrity forest carbon markets while delivering biodiversity, livelihood, and governance co-benefits. It likewise aims to support overall investments readiness by ensuring robust technical requirements are complied with, particularly on establishing the baseline and baseline, and calculation of project removals in line with the industry’s standards. CRS works with the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) as the local implementing partner, the IP organizations, government agencies, and local stakeholders, to support IP governance strengthening, forest restoration, agroforestry and livelihoods skills strengthening, FPIC processes, biodiversity assessments, land and carbon suitability assessments, safeguarding, and the development of investment-ready carbon project opportunities.

Job Summary

The Senior Social Safeguards Officer shall work closely with the Philippine Eagle Foundation in the design, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of social safeguard systems for community-based conservation, restoration, and carbon finance initiatives. The position ensures compliance with Philippine laws governing Indigenous Peoples' rights, including the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA), as well as applicable international standards on Indigenous Peoples, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, human rights, equitable benefit sharing, grievance redress, and community participation.

He/She serves as the project's focal point for social safeguards and rights-based approaches, ensuring that project activities are implemented in a manner that respects Indigenous Peoples' rights, promotes meaningful participation, safeguards vulnerable groups, supports equitable benefit sharing, and aligns with requirements of voluntary carbon market standards and international best practices.

The Senior Officer will work closely with Indigenous communities, NCIP, government agencies, local governments, civil society organizations, technical teams, and project partners to ensure that social safeguard obligations are integrated throughout project baselining, feasibility assessment, and design and pre‑implementation activities.